I'm struggling with my weight more than ever and its really bothering me. The past year I've gained like 20 pounds when I was already overweight to begin with. I need to lose between 60-70lbs to be at a normal healthy weight for my size.

So eat healthy and work out... Sounds simple right? Unfortunately I have zero energy to get myself up and making it happen. I've been trying to jog with Bamm but I can barely jog an entire minute without feeling like I'm dying. I'm anemic and feel fatigued all the time.

Diabetes runs in my family bad and now my dad was just diagnosed. If I could lose the weight I might be able to bring my risk of developing diabetes down which is a big reason I want to get my weight under control.

Any advice on how I can get the energy to stay motivated and not give up eventually like I always do in this department? I need a serious boot camp.

Honestly, I'm not obese, but also lack motivation. The only thing that really did keep me motivated was actually doing a boot camp!! 3 days a week, early mornings. You pay up, and are part of a group, so that gives you incentive.

Look about for one.

__________________

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They do not know jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing wasn't boring, it was peace."

Bodhi is the opposite of ignorance, the insight into reality which destroys mental afflictions and brings peace.

You need a partner or a team to encourage you (and make you feel guilty if you don't go). Seriously, I made it to almost every soccer practice when I played with a rec team, but running on my own? Yeah, I've done that maybe 4 times in my adult life. I need to feel like if I don't work out, someone else is going to miss out.

Have you looked up meetup.com? There are lots of walking and hiking groups locally. I think there's even one called "NoVA Trail Dogs" or something like that, if you wanted to bring Cricket and make friends

I've always found it's better to 'suffer' in a group, otherwise I put off exercising and I really do need to lose about 25 lbs.

Have you thought about cutting sugar out of your diet? My mother is borderline diabetic and she manages it with diet and exercise (walking 3 miles every other day - she does a 15 min. mile so she's walking pretty fast). She's cut out all sugars - only buys the sugarless products and she dropped the pounds she needed to lose.

I'm kind of in a similar boat. I have PCOS, which is linked to diabetes. My mom had diabetes as do a lot of my uncles and my grandfather.

At first I started cutting back on everything. Low/no carbs and all that. I ended up feeling sick then going WAY off track. Right now I'm building back up to weight loss SLOWLY. It's working a lot better for me to change slowly rather than 'okay you need to give up everything!' I've lost almost 20 lbs since January, which is a slow weight loss but still a loss.

I started trying to write down everything I eat, which has always helped but it's always difficult for me. I also have been to a nutritionist that specializes in PCOS and diabetes to just bounce ideas off of about my busy schedule and what to eat. It also gives me accountability because I know in 4 weeks I'm going back in to weigh in in front of her and she'll know if I'm not trying.

I did tell my friends and we were trying to get back into exercising together. It didn't work well because we're all just so busy. But we do ask each other how the exercise programs are going and that kind of thing.

One thing that is super nerdy but has really helped me stop being so emotional about weight loss is that I keep an excel spreadsheet and a graph for each month with different calculations on it to track my progress. It really helps me not think of it so personally, instead it's just a statistic. The graph helps me see that even if I fluctuate up one day that the overall trend is still going down. I used to panic if the scale went up and then I'd usually eat poorly. I am a nerd and a mathematician so for some reason that makes more sense to me.

I'm also hoping to get some new medication for PCOS but that's a long story.

I am going to second the joining a group option. I love Cali's suggestion to find a hiking group on meetup.com, that's a great idea! Alternatively, have you looked into weight watchers? While exercising is a huge component of being at a healthy weight, you need to be eating the right portions and the right foods.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngryMan

I think u need some angry school.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renee750il

That's what we do here. We're emotionally invested in each other and each other's dogs, the joys and the sorrows.

Bogart, i do take iron pills but I'm having trouble finding the right amount that I need daily. Some brands of over the counter iron pills make me sick which could be the dosage. I've found that liquid iron is a better option for me though it seems to be a more expensive option as well.

The group idea is great. Cali I just checked out the dog hiking group and put in a request to join their group. I'm looking to see if there is a boot camp group/class nearby.

Lauren, so many people in my family have diabetes and my sister has both juvenile (?) Diabetes and PCOS. She lost SO much weight from doing a gastric bypass surgery and its helped both the diabetes and PCOS issue a ton.

I don't know whether I have PCOS or not but I'm sure its a possibility. I am terrified of becoming diabetic though which is why I want to buckle down and get my health and weight in order to minimize my chances.

I'll look into the weight watchers as well especially if it would help me more with portion control.

It's really helped me to use www.myfitnesspal.com to track calories/carbs/exercise and watch patterns in how I drop -- or get stuck. It's helped motivate me to see the numbers and hold myself accountable.

__________________In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. ~Buddha

Stupid is the most notoriously incurable and contagious disease known to mankind. If you find yourself in close proximity to someone infected with stupid, walk away as soon as said infection is noted.

There are few things more nauseating than pure obedience. ~ Kvothe

***8206;"silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation."
— Rumi
Be a god. Know when to shut up.